Marijuana is not from the devil. It's just a weed that has always grown in specific climates and has been used medicinally since before time. You ask, "Is getting high medicinal?" You betcha it is. Feeling good about life is the greatest healer of all. We do not live in a Puritan society with its tightly controlled codes of moral conduct. Those days are gone. That mindset is obsolete. We live in a free and ever-changing world. Those trying to retard American cultural evolution can be compared to certain religious types trying to maintain the thinking written on Middle Eastern scrolls hundreds or thousands of years ago. We as a species are not there anymore. We aren't them. The world has changed. People have changed. [continues 129 words]
If Successful, It Would Allow Only Personal-Use Cultivation Proponents of banning commercial marijuana production in Calaveras County on Monday gathered signatures at grocery stores and other locations in hopes of placing its proposal on the ballot in November. Bill McManus, a volunteer with the campaign, said he got about 25 signatures during two hours parked near Vista Del Lago Drive and Highway 26 near Valley Springs. In late morning he moved to the MarVal grocery parking lot at the Valley Oaks Center in Valley Springs, where his first signature came from Hershall Roberts, 66, of Valley Springs. [continues 762 words]
Proponent Says Group Will File Correct Paperwork Soon Calaveras County Clerk-Recorder Rebecca Turner has rejected the initial paperwork filed by a group proposing a ballot initiative to ban commercial marijuana cultivation in the county. Turner said in a letter dated Tuesday that the notice of intent to circulate petition filed a day earlier didn't meet election code requirements because it failed to include the language of the proposed initiative. Bill McManus, a member of the still-unnamed group advocating for the initiative, said Wednesday morning that group members expect soon to refile the notice with the initiative language. [continues 271 words]
Leaders Hope to Have It on the November Ballot Anti-marijuana activists on Monday filed notice that they plan to circulate a petition that would place on the ballot in Calaveras County a measure that would ban marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, processing, storage and transportation. "We are looking to have this on the ballot for November for the general election," said Bill McManus of the Calaveras Project. "The process is moving forward. We've filed the notice of intention to circulate or start the petition effort." [continues 188 words]
Calaveras Supervisors Study New State Medical Pot Regulations If Calaveras County voters were to approve a tax of $9.25 per ounce on finished marijuana flowers, that tax would generate $32 million a year in revenue for the county, according to the president of the Calaveras Cannabis Alliance. Caslin Tomaszewski spoke Thursday morning before the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors during a special meeting held to study the package of marijuana regulations signed into law last week by California Gov. Jerry Brown. [continues 533 words]
Would Like More Regulation Calaveras County residents responding to an unscientific survey of their opinions on the marijuana industry say they generally don't oppose medical use of the plant but would like to see more regulation of the industry. Many of those interviewed on Saturday in Angels Camp also said they are deeply skeptical, however, both of proposals to legalize marijuana and of government efforts to prohibit it. "There is a place for medical marijuana if the dispensaries are regulated," said Ron Norlinger, 71, of Murphys. "Recreational marijuana, it's illegal and it probably should stay that way." [continues 643 words]
San Andreas is now home to one of only three medical marijuana dispensaries legally operating in Calaveras County. Green Gold Cultivators, a medicinal cannabis dispensary, has recently become compliant with Calaveras County zoning laws, having begun the certification process nearly a year ago. While some dispensaries have been faced with the prospect of closing their doors, Green Gold has taken root and thrived. Green Gold owner Tom Calmese has long been involved with the process of growing and selling cannabis for medical purposes in the area. [continues 434 words]
A Calaveras County Public Health Department manager says her agency will work out a way to allow applicants for medical marijuana ID cards to retain the original copy of their doctor recommendation. Some medical marijuana advocates complained this year when the department began keeping the originals, something patients said caused problems later when they went to dispensaries. "That makes it difficult for the patient, especially if they are not growing their own medicine. There are quite a few dispensaries that insist on seeing the original," said Tom Liberty of Collective Patient Resources, a nonprofit agency that advocates on behalf of medical marijuana patients. [continues 466 words]
Ted Shannon scored lots of points by supporting re-legalizing cannabis in his column "Legalize marijuana," published Thursday Jan. 9, 2014, on the Opinion page of the Calaveras Enterprise. However he completely missed the bull's eye when he wrote, "Smoking marijuana may be as or more harmful than inhaling cigarette smoke." In more than 5,000 years of documented use, cannabis hasn't killed a single person while cigarettes kill more than 1,000 Americans daily. Cigarettes are among the most addictive substances on the planet, while cannabis is less addictive than coffee. And cigarettes are enough to gag a maggot. Stan White Dillon, Colorado [end]
It appears the War on Drugs has had little if any impact on their availability. "In the grand scheme, it has not been successful," said the U.S. drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, in 2010. There were dissenters including our previous drug czar, John P. Walters. "To say that all the things that have been done in the war on drugs haven't made any difference is ridiculous," Walters said. "It destroys everything we've done. It's saying all the people involved in law enforcement, treatment and prevention have been wasting their time." Mr. Walters may be partly correct; most people would hopefully approve of treatment and prevention efforts, but dislike harsh criminal prosecutions that have overfilled our prisons while accomplishing little or nothing. [continues 695 words]
Valley Springs Store Is County's Fourth; Officials Talk Moratorium A medical marijuana dispensary based in Stockton opened a satellite store in Valley Springs last week and caused county officials to consider taking a closer look at Calaveras County codes governing the drug. Four of the five members of the Board of Supervisors said they would support putting a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries if it's legal to do so. This would give the county time to consider a policy review on medical marijuana storefronts. [continues 1014 words]
San Andreas pot dispensary owner protests With the opening of Little Trees Wellness Collective in Arnold, Calaveras County now has three medical marijuana storefronts in operation. What may be a problem is only one of them is properly permitted with the county. The new medical marijuana dispensary at 2641 Highway 4, Suite 7A, opened its doors Thursday, giving eastern Highway 4 patients easy access to various types of marijuana buds, edibles and concentrated cannabis blends. The store's owner, Jeremy Carlson, has been running a medical marijuana delivery service throughout the county since January. He incorporated his collective in December of last year as a nonprofit. [continues 1045 words]
Since mid-June, several medical marijuana patients have been denied care at Mark Twain St. Joseph's Hospital clinics, and one doctor is telling patients to stop using medicinal marijuana, according to Collective Patient Resources founder Tom Liberty, of Mountain Ranch. Several patients have been denied care unless they sign a Patient Responsibility Agreement put out by Mark Twain St. Joseph's Family Medical Centers that prohibits the use of marijuana. The agreement stipulates that the patient must agree to a list of terms and conditions in order to receive or continue his or her treatment. [continues 1674 words]
After more than a year of litigation, San Andreas resident and medical marijuana patients' rights advocate Jay Smith pleaded no contest Jan. 28 to one misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting another person in committing a felony. Smith, 38, was initially charged with three felonies after he sold an ounce of marijuana to a member of the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office who was working undercover on Jan. 4, 2010. According to Deputy District Attorney Seth Matthews, the initial charges were for sales, cultivation and possession of marijuana. "This still feels like a loss to me," Smith said. "To plead guilty to anything when you have not broken the law leaves a person feeling very sad and powerless." [continues 450 words]
Gretchen Seagraves displays some of her merchandise. Enterprise photo by Joel Metzger After two years of persistence, West Point resident Gretchen Seagraves will open the doors of the Blue Mountain Collective in San Andreas Feb. 1. "We are going to have nothing but top quality medicine for affordable prices," Seagraves said. Seagraves said that BMC is the first legal marijuana collective in the tri-county area, adding that she went through all the appropriate steps to get approved by the county. "I'm completely excited about the fact that the county approved it," said Tom Liberty, the founder of Calaveras Patient Resources, a medical marijuana patient advocacy group. "Our county, after 15 years, is ready to catch up with the rest of the state." [continues 935 words]
For a medical marijuana ordinance update described by Planning Department Director George White as "essentially outlining the same process that already exists for dispensaries," the level of opposition among the people crowding the boardroom for the hearing Tuesday was astounding. While opposition was universal throughout testimony, the reasons varied distinctly. From the Sheriff's Office's perspective, the ordinance did not do enough to restrict a Schedule I controlled substance. For patients, it did too much to restrict compassionate sharing of a homegrown medicine that eases the pain for many people with few other options. [continues 1438 words]
The ordinance spelling out guidelines for medical marijuana dispensaries and collectives in Calaveras County is in the process of getting a facelift. Officials say it should modernize it and enhance the law's enforceability, but it also could mean the end of a controversial medical marijuana shop in Valley Springs, a first-of-its kind operation in the county. Public officials privately state that the retrofit of the ordinance is long overdue, but it is happening now because of Forgotten Knowledge Collective, which opened for business in Valley Springs in July. Some public officials and some private individuals question whether it is operating legally. [continues 1295 words]
Judge John E. Martin ruled Aug. 25 that there was enough evidence to go to trial in a case against a San Andreas man who tried to start a medical marijuana collective. Jay Smith, 37, faces felony charges of sales, cultivation and possession of marijuana, according to Calaveras County Deputy District Attorney Seth Matthews. Smith was arrested as part of a sting operation executed Jan. 4 in the Valley Oaks Center parking lot in Valley Springs. Smith claims he was legally operating a medical marijuana collective in compliance with California state law when he sold an ounce of marijuana to an undercover deputy. [continues 194 words]
After filing numerous complaints with Calaveras County about a member of the Sheriff's Office, Robert Shaffer said he learned Monday that the Calaveras County grand jury would hear his case. Shaffer, 44, Ione, claims that his identity was stolen and medical records illegally made public by Calaveras County Sheriff's Deputy Steve Avila as part of a sting operation executed in January. Avila posed as Shaffer, who had been arrested for selling marijuana and had his doctor's recommendation seized as evidence. Avila used Shaffer's legitimate medical recommendation, after altering the birth date, in order to appear to be a legitimate patient. The sting operation resulted in the arrest of San Andreas resident Jay Smith, who is now embroiled in a court fight over whether he was operating a legitimate collective. [continues 617 words]
Going against its own policy, the Angels Camp Police Department returned several containers of marijuana to a 21-year-old man in February who said he was falsely accused of possession, transportation and sales. The man lives in Mountain Ranch and asked that his full name not be used, opting to be referred to only as "Frank." He was pulled over by Officer Jim McKeon of the Angels Camp Police Department Nov. 22 in the Angels Town Center parking lot for expired registration on his vehicle, according to the police report. [continues 1089 words]
Mokelumne Hill resident Pamela Hill had her purse stolen from inside her home. "I thought, 'This is just what kids do,'" she said. "I wonder how many of us just take it?" Now small-town residents are banding together to stop possible methamphetamine-related crimes, as more than 80 people showed up at a town hall meeting Tuesday night at Mokelumne Hill. "There have been a lot of what I consider minor thefts," said Hill, who didn't report the crime to law enforcement. [continues 540 words]
Angels Camp Police Chief Tony Tacheira remembers one drug bust where they discovered a child sleeping on the floor of a dining room. "We've gone to places where I wouldn't even put my dog to live in," he said. Stopping situations like these is a main target of a new program headed by the Calaveras County Sheriff's Department. Calaveras County will use state grant money to construct a team to shut down manufacturing of methamphetamine. The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors discussed the hiring of four new positions at its meeting today in San Andreas. [continues 576 words]
Calaveras County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Dave Seawell distinctly remembers an incident with a person using methamphetamine about four years ago. The man broke into Sender's Market in Mountain Ranch and began laying lumber and ladders across the road. "People under the influence can become very paranoid," Seawell said. Seawell struggled to detain the man, who he said was much smaller in size, for about five minutes. The perpetrator would not stop resisting and appeared to show no signs of pain. [continues 711 words]
A father and his two sons were ordered Wednesday to stand trial on charges of growing marijuana. Wesley Robert Crosiar Sr., 53; Wesley Rudolf Crosiar Jr., 31; and David Christopher Crosiar, 21; were held to answer on a count of marijuana cultivation and another count of possession for sale. Visiting Judge Richard K. Specchio made his decision following the Crosiars' preliminary hearing in Department 3 of Calaveras County Superior Court. The three men are scheduled to be arraigned in Department 1 on Dec. 5, Deputy District Attorney Seth Matthews said. [continues 304 words]
Should medical marijuana dispensaries be allowed in Calaveras County, and if so, where? That's a question the Board of Supervisors will answer Monday. The Planning Commission's answer was no, saying there's no right location for it. The issue was prompted in September when Kim Cue of San Andreas applied to open a dispensary in San Andreas near the county surveyor and 4-H offices. The county has no ordinance regulating such facilities. To buy time, supervisors passed a ban and later extended it so staff members could come up with an ordinance regulating such facilities. [continues 412 words]
Autumn not only brings an end to most food harvests, it also heralds the end of the state's illegal cash crop n marijuana. County deputies tore up more than 13,000 pot plants between January and October, said Deputy Louis Larson with Calaveras County's Narcotics Enforcement Unit. Larson did not have exact figures, but believed it was up over last year. Most of it came from a single grow that netted local authorities 11,114 plants. Larson did not wish to disclose the location [continues 195 words]
Kim Cue, 29, of San Andreas is surprised that word got out so fast about her business application to open a medical marijuana dispensary in San Andreas. Cue runs Calaveras Compassion Collective, a medical marijuana delivery service with 60 to 70 clients in Calaveras County. The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors Monday passed a 45-day ban on such facilities as a result of Cue's application. The dispensary would be at Highway 49 and Mountain Ranch Road near the county Surveyor and 4-H office. [continues 560 words]
High School Could Be First To Test In Mother Lode Athletes and cheerleaders active at Bret Harte Union High School are set to become the first in the Mother Lode to face random drug testing as a requirement of eligibility for their participation in sports, pending district trustees' approval of a proposed policy. At the trustees' regular meeting Monday, Superintendent Joseph Wilimek said the board stressed it wants a "non-punitive" program in place to help students avoid the pitfalls of peer pressure. [continues 737 words]
Claiming Calaveras County has deprived his church of the constitutional right to freedom of religion, the Rev. David Jack is taking the county to court. He's filed a complaint in Fresno's U.S. District Court, and believes his church was singled out because of its belief that marijuana is a sacrament. The Northern Lights Church first made the news when two of its former ministers, the Revs. Ricky and Sue Garner, were arrested in October, 2000 on charges of cultivating 287 marijuana plants at their five-acre parcel on Southworth Road, near Wallace, where the church also was located. [continues 567 words]
Local law enforcement authorities say a Calaveras County jury's recent decision to acquit a medical cannabis cultivator won't stop them from going after people they suspect are illegally growing the weed. "We certainly don't want to interfere with legitimate use," said Dennis Downum, Calaveras County sheriff. "But there are probably nine frauds for every medical user and we are having a hell of a time weeding them out." Prosecutors had accused William Roth Harrison, 50, of Vallecito, of possessing and growing cannabis for sale. [continues 388 words]
A Calaveras County jury on Friday acquitted an Angels Camp man of felony cannabis cultivation charges and charges of possession for sale. However, the jury found William Harrison, a local sculptor, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Barbara Yook, the Calaveras County deputy district attorney prosecuting the case, declined comment on the verdict. But medical marijuana advocates said they hope the verdict will cool local law enforcement's zeal to prosecute legal users. "I'm very happy the jury did the right thing," said defense attorney William Logan, adding that his client was growing for his own use rather than running a commercial drug operation. [continues 447 words]
Cops seize 64 plants in 1998 An Angels Camp man who has prescriptions for medical marijuana is on trial this week in a case advocates hope will blow away the haze shrouding how much medicine pot users need to grow and smoke. William Harrison, a local sculptor, faces felony marijuana cultivation and possession for sale charges. He's also charged with being an ex-felon with a gun. The trial opened last Wednesday in Calaveras County Superior Court and will continue today, Friday. [continues 513 words]
Vote Establishes Task Force To Study Issue Calaveras County may be joining a handful of others in California protecting medical marijuana patients from a jarring jaunt to the jug. In a charged vote that split the Board of Supervisors 3-2, officials directed the county's Director of Health Services to propose a task force that could draw up guidelines under Proposition 215. California voters approved that law in 1996, which allows people suffering from cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, and other illnesses to use the federally forbidden drug without fear or arrest and prosecution. [continues 597 words]
